Exploring of Isaiah

BTW! "Practical Justice" by Kevin Blue (previous posts) pretty much ended with my last post. Kevin Blue made many of the same comments I shared and didn't share in the last remaining two chapters by giving resources and more stories I did not feel the need to post anymore. Now I am back into Isaiah as my quiet time and found one specific verse that caught my attention one very very late night.

Isaiah 29:13

"The Lord says: 

'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."

I could write so much about this verse in fact my goal this week is to meditate on this verse everyday. Learn something new each day, wait on God to reveal something new. But I felt like I would begin by focusing on the last statement made, "Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men."

I have grown up in the church. All my life, every Sunday was go to church, Wed was small group, youth group, or church again, and when I left home for school I was motivated to find a church home of my own. There is nothing wrong with that. I think its great that my parents taught me the importance of being involved in a church and finding a church family. To find the outside support system that has many ages of individuals not just my peers. I am thankful, God has used my past church families from NC and OH for advice regarding relationships, advice on balancing life, motivation for spiritual growth, and simply to be an example for me. However, I am blinded by the Church and understanding that what Church is could be simply made up of rules that we believe are to worship God but really do not add or even the rules hinders others from worshiping God. 

in my small group last Friday morning, Francsis Chan spoke of what God intended the church to be. A family, with a common goal, working together to reach the goal and by growing together, in communion and fellowship with each other. Not tolerating each other,but by being a true definition of a family. This lesson on top of Isaiah 29:23 cemented the notion that I should question or explore the reasons behind actions. Are they God's intention or man's design?

It is Sunday, the perfect time to write a list of everything that goes on in my church and that could easily be questioned as man-made rules, not God's design for the Church. I hope to explore each of the following... most likely in following posts. This list will most likely grow too...

• Attendance to a Church
• bringing a bible to church
• Communion is a quiet, isolated act with you and God
• Songs sung before and after sermon
• Pastor talks, everyone listens, people say amen if agree, no one states disagreements
• Sunday school is taught with one main teacher, questions maybe asked to group for discussion (depending on group) 
• How you sing the songs (arms/hands up, swaying, clapping, dancing, etc.)

I am actually excited to dive into this list thus far! The following posts I hope to learn about what God desires in regards to each through the bible! The Ultimate God Decipher! 

I am also clinging to Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."